Amigos de Jesus

As a means to reach out to people with DD and their families we have started a community-based Bible Club called, “Amigos de Jesus”. Once a month volunteers from the local community of Licey share a Bible story, play games, sing, pray, have a craft and snack. The participants and parents have so far been thrilled with the activity. The vision behind the clubs is that they are led by volunteers in the community where the children with DD live. Currently we have four leaders for the Licey Club. We meet once a month for planning and training. They became leaders knowing that they would be leading the group in the future on their own. Up to 8 children and youth plus their parents have participated in the activity and are learning about Jesus’ love for them and His plan of salvation for their lives.

Dominican Childcare, MANIDI and CONANI

Dominican Childcare and MANIDI (the Association of Mothers of Children with Disability)
We have partnered with two local Christian non-profits, Dominican Childcare and MANIDI, to help share the Word of God with children an youth with DD and their families. These two organization serve a combined total of approximately 440 families in the Santiago area. They weekly visit the homes of children and youth with DD and provide educational and rehabilitation services for them. In 2007 we worked with Dominican Childcare in providing spiritual life training to 40 members of their staff with the purpose of them sharing a Bible lesson with the children and a family member each week they visit their home.
This year in 2008, we are providing spiritual life training to the MANIDI workers to be able to do the same to the youth they visit weekly. We are also providing parents with spiritual guidance and helping to teach them how to be faith formers in the lives of their children. This is being accomplished at monthly MANIDI parent’s meetings. In sharing God’s Word with the parents and empowering them to share Jesus love and forgiveness with their own children.

CONANI
CONANI is the National Council for Children and Adolescents. CONANI has two large homes for children with DD. Unfortunately, many of these children have been abandoned at birth and there is no record of family, they have had to be taken out of abusive homes, or some families simply can not take care of their child with DD because of economic hardships. There are 140 children total in the Santiago and Santo Domingo homes. Through Bethesda Lutheran Homes and Services and IMPACT, in collaboration with CONANI, we are working to establish a pilot project of group homes and family reintegration for the children. We are still in conversation with CONANI regarding the formation of the project.

The relationships made so far in the formation of the project, have opened the doors for our church to share the Word of God with the children in the home. So far, friends and church members have just visited the children in the homes. We spend time with them and sing songs about Jesus. We hope to establish soon a regular ministry where we can more effectively teach them about Jesus and His love for them.

Developmental Disability (DD) Ministry

The developmentally disabled (DD) are a marginalized population in the Dominican Republic. There are virtually no government services for people with DD as far as orientation and trainings for family or special education for children. What services that do exist are provided by private and non-profit organizations. This marginalization is mainly due to a lack of education and understanding of the developmentally disabled. We believe that our Lutheran Church, through the training of Christian laity in outreach ministry to persons with DD, can be a catalyst and leader in bringing about an understanding of persons with DD and help to bring an integration of the person into society and, most importantly, into faith and the Body of Christ.